Cactus League Game Thread, 3/15/2010
The last game in Tucson for the foreseeable future, barring any Japanese teams using it for training or anything of that sort. Not a whole lot of nostalgia in the local press about the departure. In fact, the only note I really have from the papers is that, as a rider to Dave’s post on Moore below, the Everett Herald talked about the change in confidence for Moore from last spring training to this one. On a related note, it’s the spring training debut of Rob Johnson.
Lineup:
LF Patterson
CF Gutierrez
1B Kotchman
DH Sweeney!!!
3B Lopez
RF Langerhans
2B Ackley
C Johnson
SS Wilson
LHP Lee
Shawn Kelley, Luke French, and Chad Cordero could also see some time, along with Tui and Moore, depending on how long they decide Johnson can hold up back there. Lee will be facing off against Dan Haren, in a more heated, but less mustachioed match-up compared to the earlier projection of Clay Zavada starting for the D’Backs.
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31 Responses to “Cactus League Game Thread, 3/15/2010”
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Does Patterson have any chance at all to make the team?
Competing with Bradley, and Byrnes, and Langerhans, and Saunders, and everyone else trying to vie for an outfield spot on this roster, no.
Some trouble in the first for Lee, two runs on three hits and a walk.
And Mike Sweeney once again ropes an extra base hit off of a front-line major league starter.
What are we going to do with Sweeney???
Yeah, Mike Sweeney…that’s totally unsustainable, but holy crap….he just keeps killing the ball.
Is this sung to the tune of “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” or the tune of “What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?”
and Lee had trouble in the second, with another hit run on two hits and a K.
Benches clear…cool!
So joser, answer me this. What do we do with a Michael Sweeney? What do we do with a Michael Sweeney? What do we do with a Michael Sweeney, after spring train-ing?
Lee threw at Chris Snyder’s head or something, in spring training… so the benches cleared and people thought that Lee was doing it on purpose, and… I don’t know. Lee got ejected. Spring training must matter more than we think it does.
According to the box score, Lee was ejected twice.
The ump had to make sure he did it right. It’s spring training for everyone.
Sorry if this is elementary-
Which is more important, plus defense at 2nd or plus defense at 3rd?
Going off the defensive spectrum, defense is more important at second than it is at third.
I guess I’ve always assumed that 2b was more valuable, basically from little league. But I’m starting to wonder at this level if the two aren’t closer in value than at other levels (where alot of guys have problems with the fundamentals of 2b).
I wonder in this case if keeping the same performance as last year between 2b and 3b is preferable to inverting them, which is what valuing the 2b position more would do.
It’s more in terms of skillsets, I think, so like Figgins might be better in terms of his first step or what have you, where Lopez has good hands, positioning, footwork, arm strength, whatever it is, and one might be more ideal than the other at the position. If that’s what you’re getting at.
Trade him to a team that needs hugs, trade him to a team that needs hugs, trade him to a team that needs hugs, preferably in Florida…
Drayer’s liveblog
Well, I’m just going to pass over Rob Johnson’s performance because it is his first PA of the spring, but how about the eye and plate discipline of Ackley? Two outs, down 1-2 in the count, and he turns it into a walk.
I’m so excited about Ackley. I can’t wait for him to develop! Hopefully the M’s can 🙂
As for the importance of 2b vs. 3b, wouldn’t you base it on some sort of algorithm involving factors like number of chances (2b), difficulty of chances (3b?), importance of chances to game result? I have no idea if there is such an algorithm already, but that seems logical to me.
Failing that, just number of chances, which I think would be 2b, for sure. I’ve always thought that was why they were looking at putting Figgins there, especially since he seems more suited to that position, and Lopez to 3b.
Right I think in this case the skillsets indicate a switch for these guys, but I’m comparing that to the safer bet of having the kind of defense at the two positions as last year.
I guess I see where the skillsets is about having some upside for each player here, but if it doesn’t, then I see it as just of question of where do you want more defense, 2nd or 3rd.
Fangraphs uses the same defensive positional adjustment for 2B and 3B, so it treats them equally. Dave looked at players who put in significant time at both positions, and concluded guys end up at one or the other because of their size. Figgins (at 5’8″) and Pedroia (at 5’9″) “look like” 2Bs.
Thanks joser, perfect.
Just from memory I always thought Beltre made some sick plays to his right, often. To me that’s what I always think of as great 3b D. But that’s just my eye…
At this point I’m starting to believe Kelley is somehow tipping pitches. Since the second half last year again and again Kelley will execute a very good pitch (down and/or on the corner) and it will get rocked. I expect Fister to get rocked because his stuff is just not that good, Kelley usually has good stuff and better than average command. Is he just the unluckiest pitcher in the league or what?
James Jones gets a double and scores a run in his first at-bat of the spring. You might have formerly known him as Griffey’s new prosthetic legs. Not a lot of good news on the bullet end of a blowout, but congrats to Jones.
Dave had an earlier post on the catching situation and I’d have to say Bard did not do himself any favors today by making the last out in the eighth and ninth innings.
Neither, you bring Sondheim into the rotation!
“Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd.
His skin was pale and his eye was odd.
[…]
Swing your razor wide, Sweeney,
Hold it to the skies!
[…]
Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
The parody lyrics practically write themselves.
Buehrle against Greinke on MLB right now. Yuni just tripled. Scott Podsednik is 2-2 and also gave up the White Sox run by being Life to Flying Things in center. It’s spring training, as meaningful as Sweeney’s average.
Yuni looks even fatter if that is possible.
Mariners Commercials are up!!!!!